Testimonials

What your neighbors are saying. . . .

(comments from petition signatures around the county)

"Chickens are a boon to the environment is countless ways, including reducing waste, they are clean, and MUCH quieter than (my neighbors constantly barking) dogs. They should be reclassified as pets. I hope PG County will become a part of this new and wonderful trend that is sweeping our nation and contributing to good nutrition."

"Please legalize chickens in Prince George's county!"

"Sounds like a great idea, in an area where people are becoming increasingly detached from their agricultural roots."

"While I would not take advantage of the ability to keep hens, I would be happy to see my neighbors doing so."

"A wonderful idea in so many ways. Please change the PG County regs against keeping hens."

"Chickens produce much less rodent attractive waste than do large dogs. As with any animal, the key is taking proper care of them. It has been very sad that several neighbors over the years have had their chickens seized by the County. We always enjoyed them in the area. Seattle and Philadelphia both allow chickens. We have stayed at a B&B in Philly where the neighbors have chickens. It was fun. The only problem I see with the petition is the 25 foot rule, which is too large considering the size of most properties. I would eliminate the distance from a property line restriction."

"This kind of push for social change is long overdue. I applaud Prince George's Chickens leadership and I look forward to seeing our county and city leadership support it publicly."

"I think that a family having a few laying hens for personal use is a good thing, especially in an area where deer ticks and their associated diseases are endemic: it is proven that chickens are an extremely effective method for clearing a garden of harmful insect pest including ticks. If cared for properly, they do not create odor or noise problems for the neighborhood. The bias against keeping chickens is an outdated class issue: the new interest in urban farming and gardening is a sensible move towards locally grown, sustainable agriculture."

"I would prefer support for all domestic fowl, not just chickens. Ducks make wonderful pets too."

"This is a great idea!"

"Should be permitted as a special exception for R-55 zoning, minimum .15 (.20?) of an acre."

"as long as people go by the rules, i see nothing wrong with bug eating fresh egg making chickens"

"I would love to have chickens or for neighbors to have chickens. As long as they are kept in a safe and healthy manner I can see no reason why they should be held to a different standard than dogs or cats."

"Backyard "hen pens" are less disruptive than dogs to neighbors, and easier on wildlife than cats. They provide educational opportunities for adults and children alike. They are really an ideal continuation of a backyard garden."

"We already can have "birds" in our houses...why not a few "birds" outside with the other multitude of birds which freely roam, fly and lay eggs in our yards?"

"it would be great to have hens!"

"Too many of us are unaware of where our food comes from. Raising chickens can be an excellent learning (and eating - the eggs) opportunity."

"A positive, green development for our communities."

"There is no question that allowing people to raise backyard chickens would contribute greatly to the local food system, increasing the availability of healthy, fresh food at a low cost. It will be especially valuable to lower income households with children, and seniors on fixed incomes, who will benefit from this source of high-protein, nutritious food. I strongly support this initiative, and hope to see this beneficial practice catch on and become widespread across our nation. "

"One of my neighbors who is in her 80s and grew up a few streets away remembers walking to the house next door to me to buy eggs when she was a little girl. I'd love for my son to be able to walk over to a neighbor's house to get eggs. And it would fit the character of our historic neighborhood perfectly. Thanks for considering this!"

"I just built a 250 square foot enclosed chicken coop/run for my mother in Montgomery County. These animals are an important step in becoming more self sustained. There presence in local neighborhoods provide a fun and exciting learning bridge into the world of animal care and how we can coexist with and use them for self sustainability which is becoming more and more important with the ever increasing global environmental crisis' threatening mother earth and our ability to live here."

"The proposed 25 foot barrier exceeds the laws and restrictions currently placed on all other pets where a 10 foot or less barrier for chicken enclosures would more than suffice."

"Hens, when properly kept, could be a great asset to both their owners and the community. Legalizing hens would also help draw the kind of people to our city that we would want here - the kind that support and celebrate places like Takoma Park's "grow your own" atmosphere."

"This is a wonderful website and I highly praise the leadership of Prince George's Hens. I am looking forward to a day when PG will allow all fowls with minimum restrictions."

"I would rather have some cute friendly hens than a dog or cat."

"I support this idea in general and want to have a few hens myself. I grew up with chickens and find them easy to care for and totally enjoy fresh eggs."

"We would love to have a healthy, organic alternative to the eggs purchased at the local grocery stores. we are very much into sustainable gardening, and would love to add chickens to our little home farm! thank you for considering this."

"yes to chickens!!"

"There should be size restrictions, but it should be completely legal!"

"Backyard chickens make a lot of sense! Please change the laws to allow chickens on lots less than 20,000 sq. feet large. Perhaps a minimum distance away from neighbor's houses makes the most sense?"

"Many other urban and sub-urban areas allow backyard chickens. They are no more trouble than a cat or dog, and in many ways, much less trouble! We had chickens at our last house and we would LOVE to do it here. Our friends and neighbors loved it as well since we'd share the eggs when we had extra. Please consider allowing these wonderful pets to be a part of our community."

"I am from Guyana, South America and I kept chickens as a child. I started building a chicken coop in my backyard last year to start raising chickens. The county inspector showed up at my house and cited me for having building material in my yard, and told me I could not keep chickens without a permit. I called to get a permit and no one in the PG gov. knew what I was talking about. It was like they never heard of a permit to keep chickens. My chicken coop is still not finished and I still don't have a permit. I hope they change the law."

"Chickens are good for the environment, great for kids and it makes good sense. We have to start rethinking our laws regarding hen keeping in PG County. Farm fresh eggs grown at home!"

"Let's pull our heads out of the big commercial company sand and get back to local basics."

"As someone who has raised chickens in the past, I think this is a wonderful idea. I can agree with not keeping roosters in urban environments (due to the noise issue), but a couple hens has very little impact."

"Backyard chickens are safe, clean, and quiet. My neighbors have some, and I love them!"

"I love hens, too!"

"Eggs are good."

"In urban environments in the 21st century we're so separated from nature in so many ways. A few chickens clucking in a backyard brings back some of that connection with nature that we've lost over the years. Although I am not considering chickens myself, I would love to see and hear them in my neighborhood. Thanks for your consideration."

"4 votes in my house plus twelve on our street for those who support chickens."

"Backyard eggs are a good way to support local food production in Prince George's County. I strongly support this petition."

"I fully support this."

"We kept chickens growing up, and a well maintained henhouse is less obtrusive than many neighborhood pets."

"Eggs from free range birds are much better tasting."

"Let us have chickens! There are a host of benefits to being able to raise them in your backyard, where they can eat grass and insects - a more natural diet, creating a much healthier bird, and more nutritious eggs. I want to be able to produce more food of my own at home, and chickens are the protein part of that equation."